Sleeping Sickness
Background
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a life-threatening vector-borne parasitic disease that can be transmitted by the tsetse fly. Depending on the subspecies of the parasite, two variants of HAT can be distinguished:
Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (gHAT): responsible for 92% of reported infections. This subspecies is mostly found in West and Central Africa.
Trypanosoma brucei rhodiense: responsible for 8% of reported cases. This subspecies is mostly found in East and Southern Africa.
The disease has particularly afflicted the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thanks to intensive control efforts, progress towards the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal of interrupting transmission is tangible. However, sleeping sickness remains at risk of resurgence, underscoring the need for ongoing surveillance, screening, and community engagement.
Our research
For more than 100 years, we have been putting our scientific expertise at the service of the fight against sleeping sickness. Decades ago, we developed the world's most widely used sleeping sickness test, and we continue to produce it to this day. In addition, we are fully engaged in the research and development of new diagnostic tests, mainly molecular ones, which will play an important role in the new phase of sleeping sickness monitoring.
We play a leading role in supporting sleeping sickness control programmes in the DRC. Together with Congolese and international partners, we succeeded in drastically reducing the annual number of sleeping sickness cases, reaching the first WHO goal to eliminate sleeping sickness as a public health problem in the country. The ultimate goal of these intensive control programmes is to stop disease transmission completely by 2030 by interrupting the transmission of the parasite between the tsetse fly and humans.
All HAT control projects are funded by the Belgian government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and are coordinated by us. These programmes were renewed in 2021.
More information
Last updated: 2 December 2025
Units
Mycobacterial Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases (Public Health)
Trypanosoma (Biomedical Sciences)
Tropical Medicine (Clinical Sciences)
Labs
Our partners
Congolese Partners
Le Programme National de Lutte contreTrypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA)
École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Lubumbashi (ESP/UNILU)
Centre de Recherche en Santé de Kimpese (CRSK) de l'Institut Médical Evangélique
International partners
Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD)
Projects
Stop transmission of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (StrogHAT)
Through facilitated diagnosis, increased acceptability and access to treatment, StrogHAT will contribute to achieving the goal of stopping gHAT transmission by 2030, as defined by the World Health Organization.
Browse all projects
Explore all projects conducted by our researchers and their partners in the Research Portal of the Institute of Tropical Medicine.
The last mile of sleeping sickness elimination
The ambitious goal of interrupting sleeping sickness transmission is within reach. Yet ITM experts warn that without continuous vigilance, screening, and community participation, sleeping sickness could resurge despite years of progress. Why is the last mile of sleeping sickness elimination the most challenging? Listen to our science podcast Transmission on your favourite podcast platform!
News
All news-
Several key events and initiatives advanced efforts toward the elimination of sleeping sickness in the DRC: the opening of a diagnostic lab in Mbuji-Mayi in Kasai Oriental province, the scientific advisory committee meeting of the StrogHAT project, and a planning workshop for passive case finding in the Bandundu region. -
Several key events and initiatives advanced efforts toward the elimination of sleeping sickness in the DRC: the opening of a diagnostic lab in Mbuji-Mayi in Kasai Oriental province, the scientific advisory committee meeting of the StrogHAT project, and a planning workshop for passive case finding in the Bandundu region.
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Introducing Janne Wouters and Niki Danel
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Press releases
Minister Prévot visits Congolese partners of ITM in fight against mpox and sleeping sickness
Investing in cooperation is investing in a safer future -
Press releases
Boost for sleeping sickness elimination efforts led by ITM
In a major step toward eliminating sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) has secured a 17.5 million dollar grant from the Gates Foundation. The funding will support the GAMBIT project, which aims to intensify efforts against this fatal parasitic disease. -
Press releases
Boost for sleeping sickness elimination efforts led by ITM
In a major step toward eliminating sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) has secured a 17.5 million dollar grant from the Gates Foundation. The funding will support the GAMBIT project, which aims to intensify efforts against this fatal parasitic disease. -
Articles
The Road to Zero
The Institute of Tropical Medicine launches new season of science podcast ‘Transmission’ -
Articles
The Road to Zero
The Institute of Tropical Medicine launches new season of science podcast ‘Transmission’ -
The EDCTP-funded StrogHAT project aims to provide the first evidence needed to integrate the highly promising acoziborole into national control programmes for sleeping sickness, a disease in decline, but not yet defeated.
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The EDCTP-funded StrogHAT project aims to provide the first evidence needed to integrate the highly promising acoziborole into national control programmes for sleeping sickness, a disease in decline, but not yet defeated.
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Press releases
Towards a world without sleeping sickness
Monday 31 January is the national day for the elimination of sleeping sickness in the DRC. -
Articles
ITM strengthens cooperation with DRC
An agreement that further extends the current cooperation between ITM and the DRC was signed on 20 October. -
Tireless effort is crucial to eliminate the disease. 30 January is World NTD Day.
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The Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale in Kinshasa was designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as WHO collaborating centre for reference and training on the diagnosis of sleeping sickness.
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ITM’s Head of Communications Roeland Scholtalbers reports from a field trip to an endemic sleeping sickness area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
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International Partners Support Government in Innovative Approach to Fight Devastating Disease
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Together with Congolese and international partners, Prof. Marleen Boelaert and her team are waging a decisive battle against this deadly tropical disease.
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28 international experts warn in the journal Trends in Parasitology that attempts to eliminate the disease could be hampered by our lack of knowledge about the transmission of the parasite from cryptic reservoirs.
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Articles
Sleeping sickness, quo vadis?
Seminar in The Lancet on Human African Trypanosomiasis -
Belgium, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp join hands to eliminate sleeping sickness.
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Impact stories
Test for sleeping sickness developed and manufactured by ITM
For decades, a sleeping sickness test has been used all over the world that ITM not only developed but also manufactures to this day. -
This mutation is common in certain African tribes.
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Bacteria have found various ways to develop resistance (AMR), of which resistance to antibiotics has become a universal health crisis relevant to the many different domains we are addressing.
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Arboviruses such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika are urgent public health threats in tropical and subtropical areas.
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Neglected (tropical) diseases are high on the agenda. For many years, ITM has been actively involved in research on NTDs, in particular on leishmaniasis, leprosy and sleeping sickness.
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ITM is closely monitoring the development of the mpox disease, both in Belgium and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
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